The Wisdom of Michele Fiore (R-NV Assembly 4) might be amusing if (1) it stayed within the boundaries of the Silver State as an inside joke, or (2) if much of it was within the realm of reality. Neither appears to be the case.

Think Progress has picked up the latest Fiore Story, as has MSNBC. Thus much for keeping the story to ourselves.

However, there’s more to this adventure into an alternate reality. First, the suggestion that campus rape might be prevented if the “hot little girls” were packing pistols in their purses ignores some valid questions.

First question, if all the girls are allowed to carry firearms on campus, would that not also apply to the men – the potential predators stalking the “hot little girls?” And, if this is the case then what we have is a formula for escalating violence not necessarily prevention. Secondly, the incidence of rape among college women is far below that for non-college females. Ergo, while any rape isn’t acceptable the fact that college women aren’t carrying firearms doesn’t put them at necessarily greater risk. Third, there’s the incapacitation factor. Campus rapes tend to be associated with physical restraint, and/or voluntary or involuntary intoxication. The gun in the purse under these circumstances probably wouldn’t be an option. [USAT]

Secondly, there’s the long debunked cancer treatment advice. “If you have cancer, which I believe is a fungus, and we can put a pic line into your body and we’re flushing with, say, salt water, sodium cardonate through that line and flushing out the fungus. These are some procedures that are not FDA-approved in America that are very inexpensive, cost-effective.” [Ralston]

“No peer-reviewed articles in medical journals were found to support the theory that cancer is caused by a fungus infection or a yeast infection. Available peer-reviewed medical journals do not support claims that sodium bicarbonate works as a cancer treatment in humans.”

“The main proponent of sodium bicarbonate as an alternative cancer treatment is Tullio Simoncini, MD. Information on the Internet describes how Dr. Simoncini concluded that cancer is caused by Candida albicans and can be cured with baking soda. The sequence of events and timeline are not described in detail.

According to the Cancer Treatment Watch website, “[Dr. Simoncini] has been using unsubstantiated cancer treatments for 15 years… in 2003, his [Italian] license to practice medicine was withdrawn, and in 2006 he was convicted by an Italian judge for wrongful death and swindling… [ACS]

Now we have the specter of a bill introduced into our Assembled Wisdom promoting “alternative” treatments such as one practiced by a defrocked Italian doctor who’s been convicted of wrongful death and swindling.

Perhaps we can only hope (1) that Assemblywoman Fiore manages to stay out of the media spotlight long enough for us to catch our breath before the next foray into insanity, and (2) her health and welfare advice is ignored long enough to prevent escalating violence on campuses, and to prevent cancer patients from suffering the fraudulent attentions of defrocked quacks.